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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · arm · season · sharp · spring · rush · lie · nail

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. lie — to recline
  3. key — in music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. spring — the season
  6. rush — hurry
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. season — in sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. season — of the year
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com